by Leona Fox
Ellen whistled for Scampy to follow her as she made her way back home. She had spent longer in the hotel than she wanted, and now the effects of fatigue were coming upon her. She was beginning to sleep better now, but she wouldn't be truly rested until Andy came back.
Thinking about him, she realized it had been a few days since he had called and she hoped he was okay. He probably was working hard, she thought, wanting to prove himself to all those new people. She was aware that deep down sometimes he wondered if being in East Pender had dulled the sharp edges that had been honed in the city. So she was curious to see what resulted from teaching the training course. Selfishly, she hoped he wouldn't be asked to do another one because being without him was torture, especially since she was reading her book and being filled with thoughts of romance and passion. It proved a welcome distraction from the events in her real life, and as she walked along with Scampy by her side she let her thoughts linger on the daydream of a steamy, forbidden romance.
Yet, even though her mind was occupied, she was still alert and out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a figure climbing out of a shop. She ducked behind a nearby tree and observed the figure, which at first glance looked masculine, although from her distance and in the dark she could not be entirely sure. Whoever it was wore an entirely black outfit, masking their head as well. They carried with them what appeared to be a sack of money. Ellen was unable to stifle a wry smile at how clichéd the scene was. The figure seemed to be in no hurry so Ellen walked behind them carefully, but Scampy, bless his heart, was so eager to do something right that he barked. The figure turned, shocked, and then began to run. Ellen instantly sprinted away, using her own trained muscles, confident she would be able to catch the thief despite the head start they had.
Her feet pounded the road as she accelerated to her maximum speed, lungs burning as she breathed in the night air. She had to push herself to the limit quickly as it soon became apparent that the chase wasn't going to be as easy as she first had thought. Despite her best efforts she was unable to close the distance between them. When this became clear she slowed her pace until she finally stopped, breathing hard with her hands on her hips. Scampy caught up to her and whimpered apologetically, almost knowing he had done something wrong.
“Don't worry boy, it's not your fault,” she said, and patted his head.
She walked slowly back to the scene of the latest crime, wiping sweat from her brow. If it was the same thief who had struck at the Longthornes’ hotel room then they were becoming more prolific than they had been previously. The more she thought about it, the more she had an idea of who the thief could be, especially when she went back and saw what had been taken.
Chapter 9
Ellen was ruminating in the cafe when a number of the store owners showed up. Many of them still were aggrieved that she had not told them the truth about the Longthornes’ presence in the town, or their offer. However, since she was still head of the merchants guild they had to turn to her. Since another store had been broken into on the previous night they were worried that they all were living on borrowed time.
“Not all of us will be able to bounce back from this,” one of them said, and Ellen tried to reassure them that it would all be alright.
There were many things on her mind and she had a new theory, one that she was sure was correct, but needed to be tested. The other members of the merchants guild were not satisfied with having to wait, but Ellen felt back to her best and her mind was as sharp as ever. She urged them all to continue with their days as though nothing was amiss, and with heavy hearts they followed her instructions. For the time being, she still had their goodwill and if she was proved right then she still would keep it. If not, then things would be very different around East Pender.
She tried to avoid walking past Maggie's cafe. It proved difficult because of the location, but the two women did not make eye contact. Still, Ellen was pleased to see Maggie was making progress again and looked set to open soon. Of course, what that meant for her own business Ellen wasn't sure. Maggie's words still stung and while people seemed happy with what her cafe had to offer, Ellen did wonder if they would be seduced by the new atmosphere of Maggie's place.
While reading the paper, Ellen read a feature on Richard that listed all his accomplishments as well as detailing his preparation for the upcoming marathon. In the feature it mentioned how he was on course to break his previous record of money raised. Yet, when Ellen looked at the sponsorship form she saw there barely had been any names added to it. He entered the cafe and she took it upon herself to ask him about the newspaper article.
“Ah, yes. Well, I suppose we can class ourselves as famous,” he said.
“The donation drive is going well then? I'm sorry to say there haven't been many takers in the cafe. I suppose most people are rather shaken up because of the burglaries.”
She watched him carefully to see how he would react at the mention of them, but his face betrayed no sign of anything. Instead, he looked cheery.
“Ah well, people can give what they give. I'm happy to receive anything, as are the people I'm raising money for, I'm sure.”
“Yes, I'm just surprised you've managed to break your record given that the names on the list seem to be rather sparse.”
“Other areas have proven more profitable,” he said, flashing a smile.
“How are your problems, by the way? I'm so sorry about what happened the other day. I think it's just terrible that they would accuse you of something like that. I can't believe they would turn on you so easily either. That's the problem with people, they're all so fickle sometimes.”
“So it would seem. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Maggie and I are going to be friends, but I wish her well.”
“If you want my opinion you're going to make her wish she never stepped foot in East Pender. You have the experience and the know-how. She's just starting out. She's going to make a lot of mistakes.”
“Thanks Richard, I appreciate your support.”
“You're welcome. Anyway, I'd better be going. Time waits for no man.”
“Richard,” she called out just as he reached the door. He turned, looking at her with unblinking eyes, “good luck with the marathon.” He smiled, and with that he left the building.
Immediately following his departure, Ellen raced toward the Longthornes and the other store owners, gathering them up at the police station where Jimmy waited for them, perplexed. Maggie was included among them and when she saw Ellen she rolled her eyes, looked away, and folded her arms.
“Thank you all for coming,” Ellen began, looking pointedly at Maggie, who still was turned away.
Tensions were still rife between the two groups and they stared unconvincingly at each other. None of them knew whom they could trust.
“Have you got this sorted out yet?” Tom Longthorne said gruffly.
It was the question that was on all of their minds, but the fact that he was the one that said it caused everyone else to rise in consternation, yelling abuse at each other. Ellen and Jimmy had to yell loudly to calm them all down.
“Nobody here is responsible for what happened,” Ellen said. “I don't have any evidence, but I believe we can catch the thief in the act. Then we can put this matter to rest for good.”
“But what about them? Are they still going to try building the mall?” a voice shouted out. Stephen was about to respond when Tom put his hand on his son's arm and rose instead.
“I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. I only want to see this criminal brought to justice then we are going to leave. I have had my fill of this town and I do not want to set foot in it ever again. Some call this paradise. I call it hell.”
His scathing indictment of the town was met with uproarious cheers, and the two businessmen were baffled by the residents’ behavior. Ellen waited for everyone to calm down before she told them of her plan, and they listened intently.
It was the dead of night. Jimmy had asked
Ellen why she thought the thief was going to strike again, especially when he had broken into two places the previous night. She said that everything would become clear once she unmasked the burglar. East Pender was like it usually was at night, peaceful and quiet, ripe for anyone performing clandestine activities. However, this time there was one difference; the store owners were waiting, hiding, along with the police and Ellen. Ellen looked across at Maggie. She had hoped this would have given them the opportunity to mend fences but Maggie barely acknowledged Ellen's presence. All they had to do was wait...
It was about 11:30 p.m. when they heard the cries. Everyone leaped into action, including the thief, who was alert enough to evade the initial attempt to capture him. However, this time there was no escape route and, even though he was a fine runner, there were too many people after him, justice proving to be the perfect motivation. They held him down while Jimmy and Ellen walked up to him. Ellen tore off the mask, revealing the thief to be Richard Robins. There was an audible gasp as his identity was revealed.
“It can't be,” Jimmy said, as shocked as the rest of them.
“Oh, but it is,” Ellen said smugly, and proceeded to detail the motivation behind his crimes.
“Something had been bugging me about the case from the start, and it was the things that had been stolen. There was nothing of note in the items, no pattern or anything. All of them were nondescript and things that could have been purchased easily, but I didn't see it until last night. You see, walking back from the hotel I actually ran into our friend here, but he was able to outrun me. There aren't many people who can do that. I started thinking about the likely suspects and I was as shocked as you but it made sense, especially when you read the latest newspaper. You see, Richard here is close to breaking his own record of money raised for charity. That is why I knew he'd make another attempt at a burglary tonight, because he couldn't resist breaking that record. And, as for the things he stole, well, for you and me they're easy to buy but for the people he's trying to help? These are luxury items. I think Richard here fancies himself to be a modern-day Robin Hood. What do you have to say for yourself?” Ellen said, towering over the criminal, who stared back at her defiantly.
“You're right, but Robin Hood was a hero and so am I. These people I'm helping, they all need the money more than you! You don't know what it's like for them. So many, there are so many who need help, and I'm just one man--”
“And, of course, you just happen to get the plaudits for raising so much. You speak of those in need but what about us? What about the small business owners? You think we're rich? These people are your friends, your community. We all have donated to your causes. There's no way to justify stealing from us.”
“You all have insurance. You all can come back from it. These people...they have nothing.”
“You're wrong. They have their dignity. They have their pride. How do you think they would feel if they knew that all the help they were receiving came at the cost of crime? The ends do not justify the means, Richard. The only thing you'd give them is shame. How dare you steal from people in their name and try to justify it as a worthy cause. You've hurt innocent people, and that's what people are going to remember you for now,” she said bitterly.
She turned away from Richard, who still tried protesting his innocence, but his words were falling on deaf ears as all the goodwill he had engendered evaporated.
When Ellen turned, she saw the Longthornes walking off into the distance, and she was glad to see the back of them. Maggie was about to leave too, but Ellen wanted to give it one last try. So she ran up and grabbed her.
“I'm really sorry about what happened,” Ellen said.
“That may be so, but it still happened and you can't change that.”
“Is there no way for us to be friends again?”
“My cafe is opening soon, Ellen. When I first came here I only had one goal; to make a new life for myself. But now I have another one, to put you out of business. I'm glad you solved the case, you might want to start looking for a new job with the police,” she said with a cold, hard stare. Then she spun on her heels and turned away. Ellen was left dumbstruck.
Jimmy came up to her, wiping the sweat off his brow. He looked instantly relaxed now that the case was over.
“Thank you for all your help, I'd have never done it without you. I never would have guessed it was Richard Robins. I'm happy Andy will be back soon. Hopefully there won't be any more cases until he returns.”
“I'm sure it'll be fine and, hey, you closed your first case! You should be proud of that. You can go back to your old job now.”
“Yeah, maybe, although I've been thinking of a career change,” he said. Ellen didn't think it would be the worst thing for him.
She watched as Richard was arrested and taken away by the officers then she strolled home, smiling. She felt like her old self again and this case had been exactly what she needed. East Pender was her town, her home, and she knew where she belonged.
Epilogue
Kelly, Matthew, and Andy returned home on the same day. Ellen was so happy to see them. As they walked back through East Pender they passed Maggie's cafe, which was opening its doors that afternoon. Ellen was in the midst of conversation when she suddenly stopped and exchanged an icy glare with Maggie.
“Who was that?” Kelly asked.
“We have a lot of catching up to do,” Ellen said, her thoughts turning to her new business rival and whether she could keep The Chrome Cafe as the place to be for all the people in East Pender.
Volume 11
Toxic Troubles
An East Pender Mystery Series Book 11
Chapter 1
Ellen, Andy, and Kelly were sitting in The Chrome Cafe. After a stormy period, the weather had cleared up. The sun was shining in the iridescent blue sky, which pleased Ellen to no end as she had avoided running through the storms, just in case an errant bolt of lightning decided to find her. The storms seemed to have put all of East Pender in a shell, as though everyone had decided to stand still. There had been no crimes, at least none that warranted Ellen's attention. Although she wished there had been so something could have taken her mind off Maggie. Ellen still felt guilty about the way she had let her paranoia run rampant and turned a friend into an enemy.
“It's nice to see the sun again. I thought it was never going to come back,” Andy said.
“It would never have stayed away for too long. I think we needed the storm, it helped to clear the air,” Kelly replied.
They spoke idly of the weather and other common matters for a while. Although Ellen mostly remained silent, having other things on her mind, she enjoyed the fact that both Kelly and Andy were back home, close to her. When they had returned they had witnessed an icy glare shared between Ellen and Maggie. Ellen quickly had updated them about what had happened during their absence. Both of them encouraged Ellen to try patching up things with the new arrival to East Pender, but Ellen shook her head. From experience she knew Maggie never would have allowed that, and Ellen couldn't blame her.
“Well, I think it's rather rude of her to set up shop so close to you. I'm not surprised she won't consider making peace with you, she sounds rather bullish,” Andy said.
“She's just...she has a way of living her life and she doesn't like compromising that. We actually were getting along well. I felt like I could talk to her, you know? And I really needed someone to talk to...”
Andy and Kelly looked at each other awkwardly. When they came home and heard what had happened they both felt guilty for leaving Ellen, even though Ellen had insisted they go. It had been bad timing for them all and even though Ellen did not place any blame or guilt upon them, their love for Ellen ensured they felt ashamed for not being around when she needed them most.
Kelly had been away on her honeymoon and it had been a wonderful time. Never had she thought that she could have been so happy, as she was lost in paradise with the man she loved with all her heart. The blazing sun had turned
her skin a deep brown, and even though she had been back for only a couple of weeks she still was looking bronzed, and the happy smile had yet to disappear.
In contrast, Andy had been at a training course and had returned feeling more secure in his profession. There always had been a level of insecurity with him since he had taken the job in East Pender after being unable to handle remaining in the city. People often looked down on cops in small towns. It was an elitism that pervaded the culture and people taking jobs in small towns were seen as taking the easy life. Even Andy had wondered if he still had what it took to compete with his peers. However, while leading the training sessions he had seen that he still had a lot to offer. While many of them enrolled in the session looked at him with derision at first, they soon came to respect him and he returned to East Pender with a renewed confidence.
“She helped me talk through the crime as well. I'm not sure I would have solved it without her, and with the help of Sergeant Lister of course,” Ellen continued.
“He expressed a similar feeling to me about you when he gave me his report. He made it quite clear that you were the reason Richard was caught and he wasn't getting anywhere in the case. I have to admit, I did think he was going to wear the responsibility better,” Andy said.
“Some people just aren't cut out for that line of work. They're fine when they're being told what to do, but when it comes time for them to lead they don't have what it takes. They don't have the right stuff,” Ellen said.